Sat Sep 06 06:24:28 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
**Shark Attack Kills Surfer Near Sydney Beach**
**SYDNEY, Australia – April 20, 2025** – A surfer has died after a shark attack off Long Reef Beach, north of Sydney, marking the second fatal incident in the city in recent years. The victim, believed to be a man in his 50s, was reportedly surfing with friends approximately 100 meters from shore when a suspected large shark attacked.
“Four or five surfers pulled him out of the water and it looked like a significant part of his lower half had been attacked,” a local surfer told The Daily Telegraph. The man reportedly lost both his legs and his surfboard was severed in half.
Police and paramedics responded to the scene, but the victim was pronounced dead upon arrival at the shore. Beaches between Manly and Narrabeen have been closed for at least 24 hours, and local surf life-saving clubs have cancelled all water activities. Drones are being used to monitor the area for shark activity.
This tragedy marks the second fatal shark attack in Sydney since February 2022, when a diving instructor was killed – the first such death in Sydney since 1963.
This incident follows other fatal shark attacks in Australia this year, including incidents in Western Australia, Queensland, and South Australia. Records indicate there have been at least 1,280 shark incidents in Australia since 1791, with over 250 resulting in fatalities.
An investigation is underway to determine the species of shark responsible for the attack. Authorities are urging beachgoers to exercise caution and adhere to beach closures.
First Piper 